In rebuilding highways for motor vehicle travel, and in the demolition of structures which are largely made of or incorporate reinforced concrete as structural members, the disposal of large pieces of concrete paving or reinforced concrete structure becomes a significant problem. Many governmental regulations and practical considerations relating to the operation of landfills prohibit the disposal of concrete slabs and large reinforced concrete structures by simply burying them in the landfills. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to dispose of such concrete material in other ways.
Crushing of the concrete is one alternative so that the concrete slabs and structures may be reduced to smaller particle sizes which accommodates the reuse of such concrete as fill and as aggregate base for roadways and the like.
The prior art has not known adequate devices for reducing concrete structures and slabs into particulate in a manner as to facilitate temporary usage in one location and then use later in widely remote locations.
It has been possible in the past to reduce concrete into particles and chunks by use of heavy duty shears, but such shears which are primarily designed for shearing steel and other metallic and wood structures, have sharpened blades and are rather expensive for the purpose of reducing concrete slabs and structures which is thought to be accomplished in other ways.